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MnSCU Tuition Freeze

Posted on
May 22, 2014
by
MCTC News

State budget allows for two-year tuition freeze

Amidst concerns of the growing cost of college and mounting student debt, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) last summer froze tuition at each of its 31 campuses for two fiscal years. As a result, Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) tuition will remain at its current levels until 2015.

The two-year tuition freeze was made possible by a $78 million appropriation by the state legislature during the 2013 session. In addition to the tuition freeze, changes in the state grant program ensured grants for approximately 7,700 MnSCU college students in the 2013-14 academic year. The largest increases in the numbers of state grant recipients are projected to occur among part-time students. “With this budget, we remain the state’s highest value and most affordable higher education option by significant margins,” said MnSCU Chancellor Steven Rosenstone.

Many students opt to begin their higher education careers at a community or technical college and later transfer to four-year universities, saving tens of thousands of dollars on tuition in the process. The MnSCU tuition freeze ensures transfer students will continue to see this degree of savings for the next two years. In addition to these guaranteed savings, MCTC offers need- and merit-based grants and scholarships to qualifying students.

“The state support is a wonderful benefit to our students,” said Scott Erickson, vice president of finance and operations at MCTC. “This tuition freeze will help our students better plan to cover the cost of education, knowing our rates will not increase for the next two years.”

“Affordable tuition, together with grants to address unmet financial need, will help open the door to educational opportunity for students from all backgrounds,” said Chancellor Rosenstone.